Wire splicer



mllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllln;

April 4, 1939. v M. e. FEATHERSTON 2,153,079

WIRE SPLICER Filed Oct. 27, 1937 3 32 INVENTOR JII. GIkaMoemriou/ l L: y 7a 1* /flu/n/ W 575% ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT O F F IQE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in wire splicing devices, and has as one 'of its main purposes that adaptability which enables it to be readily inserted upon a fence or similar wire in its operative position and then worked with the utmost freedom to produce the desired twisting of the loose end of wire.

The device primarily comprises a hand tool and its nature is so simple that even the most inexperienced workman will soon learn the simple technique which comprises its use. With this premise in mind the objects of the invention are as follows:

First, to provide a simple'wire splicer or twister which is capable of being inserted upon a stretched wire, and then worked with an oscillating motion to progressively turn the ratchet wheel and carry the previously caught loose end of wire through a number of convolutions to produce the desired twist.

Second, to provide a tool of the foregoing nature which is capable of use on smooth, stranded or barbed wires, the only requisite being that the stretched wire shall have a clear place upon '25 which the tool can be seated, and being of a less 35 the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of the improved tool, a portion of one of the cover plates being broken away.

40 Figure 2 is a plan view of the tool.

Figure 3 is a fractional side elevation of the tool illustrating the structure on the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a cross section taken on the line 45 tr- 1 of Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the position of the tool (only a fraction 50 f the latter being shown) at the beginning of the twisting operation.

Figure '7 is a similar view illustrating the position of the tool at the virtual end of the twisting operation.

55 In carrying out the invention provision is made of a handle I. This handle is used as a lever in the operation of the tool, and the reciprocatory motions of the lever by the hand of the operator produce the twist in the Wire, as presently explained.

One end of the handle is enlarged into what may be called the head 2 (Fig. 2). This head is hollow, as seen at 3 (Fig. l). The head virtually consists of nothing more than a pair of forks but when the cover plates 5 and S are afiixed 10 to the forks by the means of rivets 7 or their equivalents, the head has the appearance of solidity.

The space 3 (Fig. 1) is utilized as the container of the major part of a ratchet wheel 8, the piv-"li oted pawl 9 which 'coacts therewith and the leaf spring to which keeps the free ends of the pawl in contact with the toothed perimeter H of the ratchet wheel. The teeth of the ratchet Wheel are approximately flush with the rounded termi- '20 nals I2 of the cover plates 5, 6. It is immaterial that the teeth project a little at the lateral places and if it be so desired, the teeth H can be fully housed in the head 2 so that none of them will project.

A pair of hubs l3, l4 provide the bearings for the ratchet wheel 8. These are revoluble in matching holes I5 in the cover plates 5, 6. The latter also have matching cut-outs IS with which a cut-out I! in the ratchet wheel 8 is adapted toperiodically register. These cut-outs collectively comprise slot H? which is used as a seat for the tool upon the partially stretched wire l9 (Fig. 6). In thus presenting and seating the tool it is obviously necessary that the cut-outs must match 85 so as to complete and form the slot l8. The wire is then seated in the central axial bottom. 2!! of the slot, and comprises the axis upon which the tool is later reciprocated.

A short shaft 2| (Fig. 5) is journaled in the ratchet wheel 8 directly behind the axial bottom 20. The cut-out I1 is full width of the ratchet wheel in its hub portion and out through the adjacent toothed part (Fig. 5). A shaft 2| extends beyond the hubs !3, I4, and fixedly carries latches 22, 23, which are normally positioned to block the slot l8. These latches have matching notches 24. These, together with the axial bottom 28 produce a cylindrical hole which is occupied by the wire IS in the twisting operation.

In order to get the wire into this position it is necessary to lift the latches against the tension of a leaf spring 25. There is only one leaf spring and this bears against the heel 26 of the latch 23 with sufiicient pressure to keep the latches down until they are raised by the fingers of the operator.

A screw 21, or some suitable equivalent, is used to secure the spring to a fairly heavy lug 28 which projects from the hub M. This hub is grooved at 29 to accommodate the spring 25 and the notched face of the latch 23 (Fig. 4). lug is offset at 3|] to provide a seat 3|. This seat functions as a pressure cam, exercising this function in a wiping action over the wire convolutions as formed, aiding in pressing them down and keeping them together in a uniform manner.

- The offset 30 and seat 3| are immediately adjacent to and in communication with a wire opening 32 which merges into a rounded and slightly enlarged terminal 33. This wire opening and its terminal stand at right angles to the offset 30 and seat 3!, or approximately so.

The operation is as follows: The wire l9 (Fig. 6) is supposed to be anchored to a support (not shown) at its right end. It is desired to tighten this wire between the unseen support and the upright 34. This upright may comprise a fence post, or any equivalent. The wire I!) is first carried around the back of the upright 34, and then bent forwardly at 35 toward the operator. Preparatory to using the tool (Fig. 1) the operator must see to it that the slot I8 is open. Generally this slot is in readiness to receive the wire is because the cut-outs I6, I! must match before the tool can be withdrawn from the wire after a previous twisting operation. But if, by any chance, the cut-outs do not match it is a simple matter to take hold of the lug 28 and turn the ratchet wheel until the slot 18 is clear.

The latches 22, 23 are lifted and the tool is inserted upon the wire IS. The lug 28 is now in that position wherein the opening 32 stands upright and is just a little forward of the main strand I9 of the wire (Fig. 6). The bend 35 is now carried into the opening 32, its free end 36 projecting upwards. This free end will be held because of the offset of the rounded terminal 33 (Fig. 2) and it is this offset which keeps the free end in place and guides it through the convolutions of the twist. The terminal 33 is somewhat in the nature of a hook.

The handle I of the tool is now reciprocated. The wire i9 acts as an axle. Every down stroke is idle but every up stroke carries the ratchet wheel 3 the distance of a few teeth farther, rotating the lug 23 with a progressive action and enabling the terminal 33 to lay the free end 38 down into a series of convolutions 31 (Fig. 7). The seat 3! follows close behind and it presses upon the convolutions with a wiping or cam ac tion aiding in tightening the convolutions and producing a close finish.

Twisting pressure is applied to the free end 36 Thisalmost to the very end of its projection 38. The latter will be very short as can be understood from Fig. 7, so that there will not be any necessity of later following up and clipping ofi" objectionally long ends. The tool is removed by a final reregistration of the cut-outs l6, l1, and a lifting of the latches 22, 23. This enables slipping the tool off in a manner reversely to that in which it was put on.

So far the description is concerned with twisting one end of the wire I9 upon itself as in Fig. 7. A similar principle is involved in splicing two wires together. In that case the wires are overlapped and held while the end of one wire is being twisted about its companion. After that twist is completed the tool is used again to twist the adjacent end around the other wire.

I claim:

1. A tool for twisting the end of a wire upon itself, said tool comprising a head, a wheel which has hubs revolubly mounted on said head, the wheel and its hubs and the head having a slot to receive the wire, and a lug projecting from one of the hubs, said lug having an opening with a terminal which is offset from the opening, to receive and slidably hold the wire end during said twisting.

2. A tool for twisting the end of a wire upon itself, said tool comprising a head, a wheel which has hubs revolubly mounted on said head, thewheel and its hubs and the head having a slot extending to the axial center of the wheel and hubs to receive and revolve upon the wire, and a lug projecting from one of the hubs in a position at one side of the axial terminal of the slot, said lug having an opening with a terminal which is offset from the opening to receive and slidably hold the wire end during twisting, a portion of the lug adjacent to the opening being formed into a wiping cam to compress the wire end convolutions as formed.

3. A tool for twisting the end of a wire upon itself said tool comprising a head having cutouts, a ratchet wheel having hubs journalled on the head and having a cut-out producing a slot when matched with the head cut-outs, the depth of the slot being to the axial center of the wheel and hubs, latches having means by which they are commonly pivoted to the hubs and being notched to define a cylindrical hole with bottom of the a closed position across said slot, said lug having 7 a formation to receive and slidably hold the wire end during twisting.

MILO G. FEATHERSTON. 

